DULUTH, Ga. -- NCR Corp. has significantly expanded its network of DVD-rental kiosks through the acquisition of DVDPlay, which operates approximately 1,300 kiosks in the United States and Canada. NCR is increasing its expansion goals for its DVD-rental kiosks in 2009; the company now expects to operate approximately 3,800 kiosks by the end of the year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Conversions of DVDPlay kiosks to Blockbuster Express are expected to start at the beginning of 2010.
Duluth, Ga.-based NCR said it plans to work with its retail partners to convert [image-nocss] DVDPlay-branded kiosks to its Blockbuster Express brand. NCR's kiosks hold more than 900 DVD titles. NCR kiosks are also digital download ready. In time, consumers will be able to download movies from the kiosks to portable memory cards.
NCR's acquisition of Campbell, Calif.-based DVDPlay expands its reach into states such as California, Colorado and Illinois, where NCR expects to further increase its Blockbuster Express presence.
"Our acquisition of DVDPlay accelerates NCR's growth in the DVD-rental business as we expand our operations, technology leadership and consumer experience in key markets with premium retail partners," said Alex Camara, vice president and general manager, NCR Entertainment. "This further investment will help us bring our kiosks to even more consumers in even more locations around the United States, especially in major markets in California and other parts of the Western U.S."
Separately, Bellevue, Wash.-based Coinstar Inc. announced yesterday that it now has installed more than 22,210 redbox DVD kiosks, exceeding the company's guidance for net installations in 2009. In the past six months, the company's leading DVD kiosk brand, redbox, has averaged 900 installations per month or more than one kiosk every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Each fully automated redbox kiosk holds 630 DVDs, representing up to 200 of the newest movie releases. Consumers use a touch screen to select a movies, swipe a credit or debit card and go. Movies can be reserved online atwww.redbox.com or via an iPhone and then picked up at a specified redbox location. Customers can keep the DVD for as long as they'd like for a low nightly rental fee, and return it to any redbox location nationwide.
Redbox Automated Retail LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinstar, offers new-release DVD rentals through its network of conveniently located, self-service kiosks. Redbox has rented more than 500 million DVDs.
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